Inherent Charm
by handsaroundmyweisst
Summary: Ladies, please. No, really. Stop.


a/n - "Oh gosh. Weiss getting it on with all the girls. My dreams! It's happening!" - a guest reviewer speaking my language. weiss and a little of all the ladies.

* * *

It was strange.

It was _very_ strange.

Weiss wasn't sure when she began to notice it all. It had started with her at odds with most people. From the start, she hadn't been very personable and had come off as a direct pain to her teammates; that was something they still teased her on even now. But somehow, it began to take a gradual turn into decency. Her partners and those of team JNPR had come to exist on a plane of civility with her. Less yelling. Less fighting. Less hostility.

More... whatever _this_ was.

It had begun with Ruby. Ruby Rose: her designated partner for all four years of her life in Beacon Academy. They had transcended differences and become friends. There were times, though, when Ruby was particularly affectionate towards her. Unexpected arms threw themselves around her waist when she entered their room after scheduled classes. Sheepish smiles and many glances her way. Constant reminders of how great she was and how nicely she looked upon finishing her morning routines. Little gifts of homemade sweets and picked roses at her bedside.

It was almost suffocating.

Then it became Blake. After their skirmish, things were rocky - for a bit. They could put aside their grievances and get along just as well as before, though. Just as capable young adults should. And, suddenly, she noticed subtle changes in her behavior as well. The faunus girl would find Weiss reading upon returning to their room and often pull out a novel to join her. As this happened more frequently, Blake had gone from simply reading at the same time as her to reading in the same _bed_ as her. She would take a seat close to the heiress and read silently as usual. Over time, somehow, the proximity between them lessened and they would sit shoulder to shoulder. Very brief and "accidental" touches happened after that. Weiss had questioned it only once. The intense stare she was given had made the skin on the back of her neck crawl before Blake answered her with a shrug.

"Reading is more enjoyable with someone else, isn't it?" She had said, but Weiss was convinced that there was still no need to be that close.

Yang hopped on the odd train shortly after, or at the same time - as if she actually _knew_ - as Blake.

Yang was more aggressive than even Ruby. Something Weiss hadn't deigned possible until it happened. The blonde would sneak up behind her and grasp her hips with her hands, lifting her up high overhead with a laugh. Weiss would squeal and shout insults, demanding to be put down, but Yang would only feint dropping her before crushing her into a hug. She would breathe in deeply in the crook of her neck and make her shiver as she'd greet her with hushed words against her skin. She smiled brighter, laughed louder and winked more in conversation with her. Flirty passes were an annoying thing that the brawler always did, but she noticed now that not a single conversation could function without Yang making at least two at her in the process.

As if this wasn't bad enough, Pyrrha had joined the fray.

Surely, this was all her imagination. She had been reviewing all of her teammates' strange actions in her head once as she strolled through the hallways and had told herself just that. This was simply how friendship went. Unfortunately, she could not fully convince herself of that fact because, when she observed how the RBY of RWBY acted among each other and those outside of their team, it was nothing like that. Not even a bit. What did it mean? What. Did. It. _Mean_.

Completely lost in her thoughts, she had almost bumped into someone when Pyrrha appeared in front of her instead, scaring the daylight out of her. The redhead gripped her hands that clutched onto her books to help prevent them from falling.

"Are you all right, Weiss?" Concern oozed from every pore of her face. "You seem spaced out and it's strange since you are always alert."

How did she know that?

After she had assured the warrior that she was fine and thanked her, she had tried to walk off by herself, but Pyrrha followed. She opened doors for her and led her through them with a light touch to the small of her back every time. It was almost gentlemanly - no it _was_. All the while, Pyrrha would compliment her hair and her intelligence and slip in simple praise throughout conversation. And once Weiss announced that she had arrived at her destination, the other had frowned and cut off her words in mid-sentence before awkwardly suggesting they "Do this again at some time. Perhaps have lunch?" That too, she chalked up to friendship.

Friendship. There were just affectionate people in her life. That was all. It was foreign to Weiss only because she was not used to this treatment.

At those times when team RWBY was all present in their dorms, they would all have an excuse to huddle around her. Ruby would start it, as usual, jumping into her bed with a request for help with her homework. She would sidle up to Weiss's arm after she agreed to help and stare at her face rather than the textbook as she spoke. Yang would show up behind her then, sticking her arm out over Weiss's shoulder and pointing at something she found amusing in their textbook and derailing the entire conversation. Ruby would pout at her and try to shove her away, but both sisters stubbornly remained at her bed.

In the midst of these dealings, Blake would sneak her way into the group, taking up Weiss's free side and resting her back against her arm. Comfortably reading away at either an assignment or one of her novels. When the other two would notice her, they would whine about the unfairness of Blake's tactics, but eventually, they would settle down. Weiss grit her teeth and suffered it only for a bit, kicking them all out of her personal space with biting words.

To get away from it all, Weiss would sometimes have to excuse herself and leave the room and demand no one follow her out. Sitting in the library, her silent time would be interrupted by Pyrrha clearing her throat and asking to join her. She would take a seat next to her and read quietly if she felt generous enough to accept, but under the table, her leg would bump against hers. And, despite apologies for it, she would leave it there, knee gently rested to her own. Further still, she would sometimes lean over and press her chest to her arm, talking about something in the book or pointing out an otherwise interesting fact.

If she chose the cafeteria to close herself into, Nora would bound in and with her limitless energy attempt to tackle the heiress. Weiss had ended up on the floor and crushed into her chest many times, but with enough experience, she would avoid all flying assaults and shoo Nora away somehow. It was a daunting task, but the energetic girl would merely do her girlish twirls and babble things before disappearing and providing her with relief.

Even Velvet one time had attempted to speak with her, but became a stammering mess of unfinished sentences before fleeing the scene.

She just didn't know what she had done to garner all this attention. Surely, as a Schnee, she was rightfully well known and many people wished to gain her good graces. But this had gone beyond a certain level and all it did was serve to tire her out. At times, she enjoyed the popularity and the gushing and admiration over her. Other times, she wanted them all to leave her be already.

The next week at lunch, everyone had fought over the two seats next to Weiss. It had become a big commotion in the lunchroom and Jaune and Ren had watched from a safe distance, trays in hand, as Nora and Yang tried to manhandle chairs away from each other. Ruby and Pyrrha frowned at each other often while attempting to reason solutions out. And Weiss yelled at everyone in general - especially when Blake had "fallen" into her lap.

Jaune leaned over to Ren, eyes still on the spectacle before them.

"Hey, you ever feel like we've kinda lost something here?"

Ren sighed and shook his head. "Perhaps we should find somewhere else to sit for the afternoon."


End file.
